Sheet retaining device



'DeC- 1934- G; H. DAWSON 1,985,364

'SHEET RETAINING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22; 1934' 1 N VEN TORS GE OPGE H. DAWSON v ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,985,364 SHEETRETAINING nEvIcE Application January 22, 1934, Serial No. 707,624

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet retaining device which includes aplurality of loose sheets permanently bound together by means of a.helical wire threaded through apertures adjacent one edge of the sheetsand means to protect the sheets held by the device.

It is an object of this invention to provide simple and inexpensivemeans to bind a plurality of sheets together permanently. It is afurther object of this invention to provide means for holding a unit ofsuch permanently bound sheets securely throughout the useful life ofsaid unit and which may be refilled by the insertion of a new unit uponthe termination of the usefulness of the original unit. Other objects ofthis invention willbecome apparent upon reading the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a unit of permanently boundsheets adapted for use in my sheet retaining device.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a preferred embodiment of myinvention;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line III-III ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the structureillustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the sheet holding wirepartially removed from the cover; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of another embodiment of my supportingbase structure.

In Figure 1, the reference numerals 2 and 3 indicate a pair of covermembers positioned on opposite sides of a plurality of sheets 4. Thesheets andcovers are each provided with a plurality of apertures 5 ofuniform size, arranged along one edge thereof at predeterminedintervals. A previously formed helical wire 6, having a pitch equal tothe distance between adjacent apertures, is threaded through theapertures to bind the covers and sheets together. This type of bindingpermits a free movement of the covers and sheets on the binding wire andallows the sheets to lie flat against either cover. This structure isold in the art, being disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.1,516,932 issued November 25, 1924 to Ludwig Staab.

I provide'a bead 7, or any similar stop member, of larger diameter thanthe apertures 5, on each end of the helical wire to preventdisengagement of the wire from the sheets. These beads may be formed ofmetal, fiber, glass, or any suitable composition. Both beads may besecured to the ends of the wire after h Wire has been threaded throughthe sheets, or one bead may be secured before the wire is threadedthrough the sheets and the other head secured to the forward end of thewire after the wire is threaded through the sheets.

The method of securing the stops to the ends of thewires will dependupon the material of which the beads are formed. When metal beads areused, they may be preformed and then driven on the ends of the wire, orthey may be molded directly on the ends of the wires. Fiber or woodenbeads must be driven on the wires. Glass or porcelain beads may becemented on the ends of the wires. Beads formed of phenolic condensationproducts or similar compositions may be driven on the wires and thensqueezed to provide added security. Any bead that may be permanentlysecured to the ends of the wire will prevent disengagement of the wireand sheets. Although the sheets are permanently bound together by thewire, it is obvious that any sheet may be torn from the wire anddiscarded without interfering with the other sheets through which thewire is threaded.

In Figures 2 to 5, inclusive, the sheets 8 are permanently boundtogether by a helical wire 9 provided with beads 10 to preventdisengagement of the wirefrom the sheets. The book is provided with asupporting base member 11 to which a metal plate 12 is secured. Themember 11 may be a board or metal plate, or, as shown in Figures 2-5,may be made of leather, imitation leather or any suitable materialordinarily used for note book covers.

The specific means of securing the plate 12 to the supporting basemember or cover 11 is immaterial, as long as the plate is held securelyin place. I have shown a back plate 13 having its opposite ends '14projecting through the base member and clinched against the ends of theback wall 15 of the plate 12 to secure the plate 12 to the base member.The ends of the wall of the plate 12 adjacent the base member 11 arenotched, as indicated at 16, to insure a rigid securement of the plate12 to the base member. The front wall 17 of the plate 12 is notched, asindicated at 18, to facilitate bending of the ends 14 against the backwall of the plate.

The plate 12 is preferably tubular, as shown in Figures 2 m5, inclusive.However, it may be formed in any suitable-manner. The essentialrequirement of the plate is that it must include as an equivalent of thefront wall 17, a surface spaced from the supporting base a distancesufficient to allow a portion of the helical wire to lie therebelow.

A plurality oi. transverse apertures 19 are provided in the front wall17 of the plate 12. These apertures are spaced apart a distance equal tothe pitch of the helical wire 9 so that each aperture may receive aportion of the wire. Each aperture 19 is provided with a pair ofshoulders 20, 21 at opposite ends. The shoulders are formed by extendingthe apertures at right angles in opposite directionaas indicated at 22,23.

The wire may be forced into the apertures 19 by direct downwardpressure. The wire will then spring under the shoulders 20, 21v and willbe securely held in place. The shoulders 20, 21 prevent removal of thewire from the apertures in any manner except by a progressive transversemovement starting at one end of the wire as illustrated in Figure 5. Itwill be obvious that any force to remove the wire from the plate shownin Figure 5 would have to be applied in a clockwise direction regardlessof which end is used as the starting point of the removal movement.

The wire 9 is resilient so that it may be removed irom the metal plate12 and reinserted as frequently as desired. When the sheets 8 areeventually discarded, a new unit, consisting of a plurality of newsheets 8 bound together by another wire 9, may be inserted into theapertures of the tubular plate 12.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figure 6, a metal plate24 is secured to a supporting base member 25 by means of a plurality ofrivets 26 or similar fastening means. The supporting base member may bea board or metal plate, or may be a book cover similar to the member 11.The metal plate 24 is provided with a pair or upstanding flanges 27 and28. The flanges 27 and 28 are recessed to provide projections 29 and 30,respectively. The flanges 2'7 and 28 are adapted to receive the helicalwire 9 in the same manner as the front wall 17 oi the embodiment ofFigures 2 to 5, inclusive. The method of removing and inserting thehelical wire 9 is the same in the embodiment of Figure 6 as in theembodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive.

Although I have described several preferred embodiments of .my inventionin detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is i1-lustrative rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified orchanged without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention?Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact constructiondescribed, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a metal platesecured thereto, said plate having a plurality of projections, aplurality of sheets, and a-helical wire threaded through said sheets,said wire being engageable with said projections to hold said sheetsadjacent said supporting base member.

2. In a book, a cover member, a metal plate secured thereto, said platebeing provided with a plurality of transverse apertures, each of saidapertures having a shoulder adjacent each end thereof, a helical wireengaging said shoulders and retained in said cover member thereby, saidhelical wire carrying the sheet contents 0! the book.

3. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a metal platesecured thereto, and a helicai wire carrying a plurality of sheets, saidwire being retained in engagement with said supp rting base member bymeans of a plurality of projections in said plate and being removabletherefrom by progressive transverse movement starting from either end ofthe wire,

4. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a metal platesecured thereto, said plate being provided with a plurality ofprojections, and a helical wire carrying a plurality of sheets, saidwire being engageable with said projections by a straight downwardpressure, and said wire being removable from said projections only by aprogressive transverse movement starting from either end of the wire.

5. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a metal platesecured thereto, said plate being provided with a plurality ofprojections, a plurality of sheets, a helical wire threaded through saidsheets, and means secured to each end of said wire to preventdisengagement of said wire from said sheets, said wire being engageablewith said projections to retain said sheets adjacent said base member.

6. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a metal platesecured thereto, said plate being provided with a plurality oftransverse apertures, a shoulder a'djacent each end of each aperture,and a helical wire threaded through a plurality of sheets and engagingsaid shoulders, said shoulders permitting removal of said helical wireonly by a progressive transverse movement starting from either end ofsaid wire.

7. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a plurality 0!sheets bound together by means of a helical wire threaded therethrough,and means secured to said base member to retain said helical wire inengagement with said base member.

8. In'a book, a cover member, a helical wire, a plurality of sheetscarried by said wire, bead members on the ends of said wire to preventdisengagement 01 said wire and sheets, and means to removably securesaid helical wire in said cover member.

9. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a helical wirecarrying a plurality of sheets, a metal plate secured to said basemember, said plate being provided with a pair 01 flanges, and means onsaid flanges adapted to engage successive turns of said wire to retainsaid wire adjacent said supporting base member.

10. In a sheet retaining device, a supporting base member, a platemember secured to said base member, said plate member being providedwith a pair of upstanding flanges having a plurality of recesses attheir upper edges, and a helical wire carrying a plurality'of sheets,said recesses being adapted to receive portions of said wire to retainsaid sheets adjacent said supporting base member. 11. In a sheetretaining device, a flanged member having a plurality of recessesadjacent the upper edges of said flanges, a coiled wire having a portionof each coil engaged with said recesses, and projections adjacent saidrecesses adapted to prevent removal of said wire from said recessesexcept by a progressive transverse movement starting from either end ofsaid wire.

GEORGE H. DAWSON.

